Super Bowl 2012: Why the San Francisco 49ers Are Poised to Win

When Colin Kaepernick enters the football field, he brings a story with him. Part of that story includes throwing a no-hitter in a high school baseball game. He did it battling a bad case of pneumonia.

Once a star quarterback for the Nevada Wolfpack, Kaepernick now finds himself in the unlikely position of leading the San Francisco 49ers on a playoff run.

And ever since he took the reins, the 25-year-old has been lights-out.

Against the New Orleans Saints last week, Kaepernick passed for a touchdown and ran one in. He can defeat defenses with his arm and with his legs, whichever seems to be most fitting for the coverage called against him. His most mind-boggling stat so far? He holds a perfect quarterback rating on passes of at least twenty yards.

Imagine a Michael Vick with less turnovers, enhanced decision-making and a better attitude on the field. In fact, never mind. Throw that comparison away.

This kid is in a league of his own.

Of course, this isn’t the only reason the 49ers are looking for a Super Bowl win this year.

Besides a fantastic young quarterback heading the offense, San Francisco has a monstrous defensive line. Check that. A monstrous defense, period. There is virtually no weak link on this side of the football for the 49ers.

Aldon Smith and Justin Smith lead an exceptional pass rush and are backed by an elite secondary. Overall, the defense is ranked fourth against the rush and second against the pass. It is fast, consistent and powerful. Not to mention downright scary.

And the ability to create turnovers seemingly at will? That certainly helps.

Did I mention Frank Gore? The 49ers have him, too. I know, it just doesn’t seem fair.

Gore leads a San Francisco rushing attack that is ranked second in the league, averaging over 160 yards every game. That’s an amount some teams are lucky to get twice in a season.

This is also a team that has crushed their opponents in almost every major category—more first downs, more yards gained and more turnovers. These key statistics ultimately allow a team to churn out numbers in the win-column each week.

Their only weak ranking this year has been the passing attack, just 27th in the NFL. Now that Kaepernick has been named the starting quarterback, that may change quickly.

In other words, the San Francisco 49ers have the most sought-after element of any major sports team: balance.

And they’re going to ride that balance all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.